Legislation

Pennsylvania this week joined South Carolina and North Dakota in making itself off limits to the great pretenders of rock music history. Pennsylvania Gov. Edward G. Rendell signed legislation designed to stem the tide of acts using the names of the Drifters, the Coasters, the Platters and dozens of other groups without having direct ties to the original performers.

An insurance industry-backed bill that would make it easier for auto insurers to persuade motorists to fix their dents only at company-selected garages won a key vote Friday in the state Senate and should be on the governor's desk next week. Insurers say the bill is needed so that they can give policyholders full information about the benefits of having work done at select auto body shops. Those advantages include lifetime guarantees, fast turnarounds and quality repairs, the insurers say. But opponents -- an unlikely coalition of car dealers, auto body shops, trial attorneys and consumer activists -- contend the bill would weaken safeguards against "steering," an illegal practice in which motorists are pushed with a combination of economic incentives and penalties into taking their cars to certain body shops.

Victims in a sexual assault scandal at the Air Force Academy are criticizing Rep. Joel Hefley, saying he weakened legislation signed Wednesday by President Bush that was aimed at holding academy leaders accountable. Hefley, a Colorado Republican, had changed an amendment written earlier this month by a group of senators in response to public outcry over allegations that the academy ignored or punished dozens of victims.

WASHINGTON - Overcoming objections from conservatives, Congress gave final approval to legislation to reauthorize the nation's Export-Import Bank, sending to President Obama a key legislative priority for the business community. The Senate passed the measure 78 to 20 after turning back several proposed GOP amendments to do away with the bank or scale back its lending authority. Conservatives in the House and Senate have fought the bank as a form of corporate welfare. The bank subsidizes the sale of U.S. exports, which critics said props up some companies and harms others through unfair competition.

The Obama administration tried Sunday to steady itself and its top domestic priority after last week's stunning Massachusetts Senate upset, as a top White House official vowed to move ahead with comprehensive healthcare legislation because "the underlying elements of it are popular and important." "The president will not walk away from the American people, will not hand them over to the tender mercies of health insurance companies who take advantage" of them, White House senior advisor David Axelrod said on ABC's "This Week."

Passing a major energy bill seemed virtually impossible a few weeks ago, but Democrats, bolstered by public anger over the gulf oil spill, are pushing for legislation with renewed hope of success. A new energy bill could be shorn of its most controversial feature — the costly and complex "cap-and-trade" system, which would set a declining limit on emissions from power plants and factories and force emitters to buy permits for the release of heat-trapping gases. But even without cap and trade, the measure contemplated by Senate Democratic leaders could bring far-reaching change, including new renewable energy requirements, tougher liability caps on oil companies and stronger energy-efficiency measures.

California's business lobby unveiled its annual wish list Wednesday, asking for the easing of some labor rules and a solution to the problem of the growing number of workers without adequate health insurance. The California Chamber of Commerce's legislative program also proposes repairing the state's aging network of highways and relieving the housing crunch by reforming environmental review laws.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced late Wednesday that the Senate will proceed with votes in the lame-duck session on two Democratic priority issues -- repealing the ban on gays serving openly in the military, and legislation to allow a path to citizenship for young illegal immigrants. Reid's decision to pursue both items indicates Democrats are unwilling to cede their top issues despite overwhelming Republican gains in the midterm elections. Both issues face opposition from Republicans.

President Bush signed a bill that will make it harder for debt-ridden people to wipe clean their financial slates by filing for bankruptcy protection. The legislation was opposed by consumer rights activists who said it would prevent vulnerable Americans from getting the fresh start they need. But Bush said the law was "restoring integrity to the bankruptcy process." The law takes effect in six months.

President Bush signed legislation to establish a national databank of umbilical cord blood and bone marrow that would allow doctors to quickly find a match for patients who need a transplant. The Senate passed the bill by voice vote on Friday. The House passed the bill in May by a vote of 431-1. The legislation will provide $79 million in federal funding to increase the number of cord blood units available for matches.